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Some exciting news!!!

Do you want some exciting news?!??!? Here they are:

According to a post on the webboard of the www.depeche-mode.com website, a live DVD by Dave Gahan is to see the light of day in March 2004. According to the source, Rage Mail Order, the show on the DVD will be the Paris show. The news does not really come as a surprise as Anton Corbijn has been sighted on stage with a video camera at the past Gahan gig in Brussels. It therefore looks that Corbijn will also be the director of the DVD. It might also indicate that the concert on the DVD could well be the upcoming Paris concert and not the one from the first part of Gahan's tour that has already been aired on TV in Europe (and soon on US television). The news apparently has been confirmed by Mute.

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Some excerpts from Q&A session with Andrew Fletch after «101» video projection in Paris, October 20th:

Q: Will there be a new album with Depeche Mode? Is there a chance that you will be reunited again despite all the rumours spreading?

A: Martin has started to write some new songs and we're supposed to meet in mid-November also with Daniel Miller to see what it sounds like and hopefully we'll be in Studio for March /April 2004 hoping to release our new album for Spring 2005 followed by a Tour. Seeing again «101», I thinkit would be a very good idea to play again some of our old songs for the next tour.

Q: What about the remix album you mentionned some time ago will it be released?

A: Well we had about 19 hours of material to chose from, and we finally sumedall up to 2 CD's of our best remixes also including some remixes never released before. There will also be some new remixes done by nowadays remixers. All this should come out in April 2004.

Q: Do you think Martin will let Dave write some songs for the next album?

A: Well if David bring some songs that is good enough to fit in the album, yes. I had the chance to work with two of the best writers: Martin Gore and Vince Clarke, and I hardly imagine for the next albums Martin doing the music and Dave the lyrics, that wouldn't do it.

Q: What about Alan? After all he also contributed a lot into your work in the past?

A: Well it's true we do miss Alan all of us, but now he's away from everyone. Nobody in the group has news from him, the last time I saw him was 4 years at a Christmas party in Mute. I can understand that after being in Depeche Mode you would like to get away from all. But sadly nobody has any news from him.

Q: D.A. Pennebaker said back 1999 that during the «101» shooting he knew that a band member didn't have his keyboard plugged during the live performances is it true?

Q: Was it a band choice or any of you to not include subtitle for foreign languages on the «101» DVD? Did you record your commentaries all together?

A: Well I can't tell I mean I'm not in charge of those aspects, there isn't subtitle on the movie but there will be some on the bonuses with the audio commentary of the band members and the Pennebakers. Each of us , along with Pennebaker recorded individually our comments about «101» while we were watching it.
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- Fletch doesn’t know why there aren’t foreign subtitles for the ‘101’ DVD
- He didn’t talk to Alan Wilder since a Mute Records evening in 1999. According to Fletch, Wilder doesn’t give news to the three of DM.

About the '101' CD :
- Q. : « Is it true that Dave Gahan recorded his live vocal parts in studio before the release of ‘101’ in CD in 1989 ? »
- A. : ( *Fletch a little bit embarrased* )
« Hem… he only re-recorded some verses, it was only to fix some weak live vocal parts. You know, a lot of live recordings aren’t real live recordings… »
About that last one : no comments !

- There are video materials from the 1990's World Violation tour but there’s no schedule to release it on DVD. Fletch said DM doesn’t like the idea to release a lot of live CD’s or DVD’s. Maybe ‘Devotional’ would be released on DVD because it was already released in VHS.

- Fletch said the remixes album would be released in March or April 2004. There will be brand new remixes. But he didn’t talk about the remixers

- Fletch talked about the future of DM : you know these last weeks he already said that Martin Gore currently wrote new songs and he said it again last night :
- Q. : « Martin already said he can only write on his own, will he be able to write new DM songs with Dave ? »
- A. : « If they actually both agree, there would be one or two songs from Dave… »
Some news :
- DM will meet Daniel Miller in November. They’ll hear some Martin’s demos and together they’ll talk about the choice of a producer for the next album.
- Fletch added there will be a DM tour in 2005 and he really hopes a lot of old DM songs would be performed more than during the past tours.

Q: Will there be a new album with Depeche Mode? Is there a chance that you will be reunited again despite all the rumours spreading ?
A: Martin has started to write some new songs and we're supposed to meet in mid-November also with Daniel Miller to see what it sounds like and hopefully we'll be in Studio for March /April 2004 hoping to release our new album for Spring 2005 followed by a Tour. Seeing again 101,I thinkit would be a very good idea to play again some of our old songs for the next tour.

Q : If you had to choose one song that would sumup all the best of what you've done with DM which one would you choose?
A : It will be for sure "World in my eyes" from Violator which I consider is the best album of our career.

Q: What about the remix album you mentionned some time ago will it be released ?
A : Well we had about 19 hours of material to chose from, and we finally sumedall up to 2 cd's of our best remixes also including some remixes never released before. there will also be some new remixes done by nowadays remixers. All this should come out in April 2004.

Q: You had the choice between 101 and Devotional, as on the official website many people voted more for the release of Devotional than for 101?
A : well they are not the same kind of material, 101 is a rock documentary and Devotional is just a live video from one of our tour. that's just it.

Q : Will you ever release a video from the Violation Tour?
A : when we were kids we used to listen to Deep purple who released for each album they made a live albumand a live video, wedon't want to do that for each album we release. We have filmed the Violation tour, but we have no plans to release a live video for each tour or album.

Q: Do you think Martin will let Dave write some songs for the next album:
A : Well if David bring some songs that is good enough to fit in the album , yes. I had the chance to work with two of the best writers : Martin Gore and Vince Clarke, and I hardly imagine for the next albums martin doing the music and Dave the lyrics, that wouldn't do it.

Q: What about Alan ? after all he also contributed a lot into your work in the past ?
A : Well it's true we do miss Alan allof us, but now he's away from everyone . Nobody in the group has news from him, the last time I saw him was 4 years at a Christmas party in Mute. I can understand that after being in Depeche Mode you would like to get away from all. But sadly nobody has any news from him.

Q: D.A. Pennebaker said back 1999 that during the 101 shooting he knew that a band member didn't have his keyboard plugged during the live performances is it true?
A : ( laughing) well Penny (pennebaker) isn't nice to reveal Alan's secret that way ! Alan's gonna be angry now!

Q: Is it true that Dave did record some audio parts of 101 after the shooting?
A: Well that's something that is done for live recordings usually by every artist when the results are not always correct. He didn't record the whole song or a whole melody he just corrected some sentences or words that didn't sound correct.

Q: Why did you chose to work with D.A. Pennebaker instead with Anton Corbijn for 101?
A : at that time Anton was quite only our photograph and we barely had done a few videos with him, that's the reason.

Q : Did you pick up some ideas from the way some of your fans are dressed to choose your style in the band?
A : interesting question, At the beginning in fact we all dressed individually on our own way, but after all we decided to all wear black that would be best and fit us all. But that's all, I may just look at any of you and find something interesting I would pick up for me but that's all.

Q : Will you do more concert dates for next tour? and some more in France as you did quite a lot in Germany last time? Will you like to finish the tour on a big stadium like you did for 101 ?
A : (laughing) Well no we'll do 50 in germany and no more in France Well I can't tell where we're going next time and how much dates there will be for each country. Last tour Martin only wanted to do 80 dates and with barely no break between each place. For next tour I would like to do it on a 2 leg Tour so we can do it at a more calm pace. As for the stadium it was nice for 101 but right now we search more to be closer with the public so it's not in our plans to do big stadiums for our concerts.

Q : After Martin and Dave releasing an album would you do it? and would you contribute with new songs to the next album ? Could you sing something for us?
A : Oh , well in fact you know, they were the ones who copied me, because I was the first one to release a solo album called "Toast Hawaii " that was mainly Dave on drums, Alan on piano, Martin and I on guitar , and we were doing covers of classic rock songs. There's only one copy and that's Martin who has it , because if I would have it i would throw it in the garbage. Well it's chance you never heard my lyrics, so no I won't write any songs to the next album we already have one and maybe 2 songwriters among the band and that's enough. As for singing my reputation is already bad enough I don't want to make it worse.

Q: have you done all your choices for the remixers that will work in the remix album? and what are your favourite electronic band/artists at the moment?
A: Well we haven't already choosed who will be working for those remixes,If we meet again in 3 or 4 weeksi'll be able to answer you, but right now I'm not able to tell you who will do some remixes for us. As for the artists I prefer at the moment I think it's quite obvious to say it's CLIENT or I wouldn't work with them. i mean that's why Irpoduce them because I think they're the best electronic band of the moment.

Q: Do you know which producer may work on the next album with you?
A: well no, we're still in the writing process with Martin and anyway right now Imust admit we have strange relations with our producers. There are no news of Tim Simenon since we worked with him, the same happened to Mark Bell, even Flood disapeared at the time, he's in Russia now, but that's all, there's some kind of curse among DM producers, I didn't thought we were that terrible...

Q: Dave came in Europe to meet the fans last June and now we have to the chance to have you, do you think there's a chance of seing Martin coming to the fans?
Well you know I think at that exact time martin is by his swimming pool and enjoying it. Anyway he's on his writing process of the next album at the time that's the important.

Q : Was it a band choice or the management to not include subtitle for foreign languages on the 101 DVD ? Did you record your commentaries all together ?
A : Well I can't tell I mean I'm not in charge of those aspects (Labels/Mute staff member answers there isn't subtitle on the movie but there will be some on the bonuses with the audio commentary of the band members and the Pennebakers.
Each of us , along with Pennebaker recorded individually our comments about 101 while we were watching it.

Re: Some exciting news!!!

Originally posted by NeverneverSeeing again «101», I thinkit would be a very good idea to play again some of our old songs for the next tour.

almost fell off my chair when i read that. i almost care more about this than the next album. hearing those old classics again would be incredible. i found the exciter setlist to be a major disappointment. they completely ignored the music they made in their prime. glad to see they realize now where their best material lies.

I'm sure after 20+ years of playing many of the same songs or "hits", anybody would get tired of doing the same songs on each tour, so I understand why they did what they did on the "Exciter" Tour..I'd probably do the same thing, every once in awhile..But as a fan, yeah I'd like to see them roll out some of the older stuff again..

No idea where to start, what wonderful news. They need to ditch the live drums and background singers and get to the roots old school days. That would be so great if Alan would come back too, impossible though from the way it sounds. I also think the new album should have some Dave written tracks to vary it up a bit and make itself fresh, he's certainly proven himself out there as capable. Man, my favorite band in the world never ceases to suprise and "excite" me!